


Just Like Always

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-03
Updated: 2015-07-03
Packaged: 2018-04-07 11:19:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4261404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It didn’t cross Dean’s mind to wonder why his best friend had proposed to him out of the blue in the middle of the day while sitting and watching overrated crime dramas like they did every day when they were both off work. It didn’t cross his mind that neither of them had shown any of that kind of interest in each other before. </p><p>Hell, it didn’t even cross his mind that maybe this was weird and sudden and that maybe he should ask exactly what was going on in that crazy mind next to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Like Always

**Author's Note:**

> Confession: I was maybe definitely inspired by all the marriage proposal fics that crawled out of the woodwork since June twenty-sixth, so consider this my contribution of sorts to the celebration of the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States. Go us. 
> 
> Secondly, this was written between the hours of midnight and six AM listening to nothing but country music, and I realize it probably lacks social convention and is slightly unrealistic, so I ask you to just go with it. Consider it that perfect, fairy tale-like relationship we all wish we could have with someone. Because it is. 
> 
> BONUS! I was also definitely inspired by [Marry You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lqF_huno40) by Bruno Mars because it's absolutely one of my favorite songs right now.

"We should get married."

Dean's eyes flickered over to his best friend then returned to the crime drama on the TV. He wasn't the biggest fan of the genre, but Cas loved the whole mystery thing. Come to think of it, murder had been an interest of his since they were little. Not  _murdering people_ , of course. Just the whole "forensics" stuff. The nerd.

It was quiet in the room for another heartbeat. Dean took a swig of the beer in his hand as he pulled his feet up onto the coffee table. The cops were pulling out the whole "good cop-bad cop" routine, questioning the wife because the victim had been having an affair with the husband. Typical and overused, in Dean's opinion, but what did he know? His usual pick for a midday TV show marathon was an unrealistic medical drama.

But, hey. Dr. Sexy lived up to the title, so whatever.

"Okay," he said simply. The captain of the precinct came into the room and beckoned to the head cop. Some new piece of evidence had shown up, apparently. "You wanna go down to City Hall tomorrow? Or we can ask Pastor Jim if his weekend's free or something."

It didn't cross Dean's mind to wonder why his best friend had proposed to him out of the blue in the middle of the day while sitting and watching overrated crime dramas like they did every day when they were both off work. It didn't cross his mind that they'd never been intimate, sexually or romantically, or in any way that would typically lead to a marriage proposal. It didn't cross his mind that neither of them had shown any of that kind of interest in each other before.

Hell, it didn't even cross his mind that maybe this was weird and sudden and that maybe he should ask exactly what was going on in that crazy mind next to him.

"I was thinking an outdoor venue, maybe the park," Castiel said thoughtfully, his attention still on the show. He pulled his feet up, tucking them underneath himself. His warm mug of coffee was held loosely in his hands against his chest. "It's supposed to be nice this Thursday, sunny and warm. It'll give us time to get rings."

Dean nodded to himself as they watched a couple minutes of the show in silence. They'd brought in some kid that had sold some drugs to the victim the night before her murder.  _Not him,_  Dean thought to himself.

"You thinking of inviting anyone? Outside of Sam and Gabe?" Because of course Sam and Gabe would have to be there, if only to witness.

"Anna." Castiel took a sip of his coffee. "Maybe Michael, if he's willing to come into town on such short notice."

"Yeah, I'm not sure Bobby'll be able to fly in, either." Dean snorted, taking a swig of his beer. "Planes ain't cheap these days." Castiel hummed in agreement, and they continued to watch the show.

"If possible, I would like Pastor Jim to be the one to marry us," Castiel said a while later. "Since you mentioned him."

"I'll talk to him Sunday, then." Dean set his beer aside again, leaning back and throwing his arm over the back of the couch. His hand fell around Cas' shoulders, and he ran his fingers through Cas' dark hair. He massaged Cas' tense neck from spending his days hunched over a computer. Cas leaned against him and tilted his head, and Dean massaged where Cas guided him.

It never occurred to him that this could be different now, seeing as how they were getting married in a week. It was just too natural.

They finished the show with their usual "I knew it" commentary (it was the wife who did it. In a jealous rage. Because originality.) before getting up from the couch. Dean headed to throw his beer bottle away and Cas headed into the kitchen to start dinner. Dean moved their laundry from the washer to the dryer, took the trash out, and then joined Cas in preparing burgers. They danced and sang along to the radio like they did every night while the patties cooked.

They pushed and shoved each other when getting ready for bed that night, fighting and laughing over the toothpaste and time in front of the mirror and who got to shower first. Cas won. As usual.

Dean climbed into his bed in his faded plaid pyjamas and a Zeppelin shirt. He set his alarm for work and tossed his phone onto the nightstand in a practiced routine. Turning out his light, he saw Cas walk into his room, dressed in his AC/DC shirt (stolen from Dean, the thief) and black pyjama pants with the little bumblebees he adored so much. Cas smiled and climbed easily into bed beside Dean.

Dean didn't even hesitate when he rolled over and threw an arm over his best friend. He pulled him close, tucking Cas' head beneath his chin. He felt Cas' arms wrap around him and hold him just as tight. While it actually wasn't, it felt like something they'd been doing all their lives. Something that had the unconscious  _just like always_  attached to it.

When Dean saw Pastor Jim that Sunday about marrying them on Thursday, he had to give the man props for hardly batting an eye at the sudden announcement. Pastor Jim just smiled and said he'd be glad to do the ceremony for them. He'd also assured Dean he'd make sure to reserve the open space in the park that Cas had told Dean he wanted to use for them.

Dean's phone spent the day blowing up with calls after Cas sent out the invites, done up by himself and honestly way better than any professional ones Dean had ever seen. Jo, Sam, and Jess were all bewilderment, awe, and squealing. Charlie, Anna, and Gabriel played indignation at not being able to plan anything. Concern over just what exactly they were  _doing_  came from Bobby and Ellen (he'd been sorely tempted to hang up both times). Other brief, skeptical congratulations from various friends and coworkers happened throughout the day, with thankfully little teasing.

Michael even called Dean directly (which had never happened in all his years of knowing the Novaks) and threatened grievous bodily harm if it came to his knowledge that he hurt Castiel in any capacity, warning that no one would be able to find his body because he had "connections." Dean didn't doubt him at all.

That Tuesday Dean and Cas went out to the jeweler's to pick out their rings. They walked out with matching black-center tungsten bands, because Dean wasn't really a gold person and tungsten was tough shit. Cas had insisted on inscriptions, and Dean had bent to his pleading blue eyes like he always did. In the end, Dean's had  _His Beloved_  engraved on the inside, and Cas' had  _His Angel_. Because they were manly like that.

Thursday was just as sunny and warm as promised, the sky clear and the breeze gentle. Families and couples enjoyed picnics while their kids ran and laughed in the sun. Joggers circled the paths, and groups of friends tossed Frisbees around, enjoying their summer. The wedding party had set up in the clearing across the lake, beneath the willow trees. The reception was set up in a potluck picnic style where everyone brought two or three dishes to try at their leisure. Cas didn't want formal, and everyone without exception was on board with that idea.

Case in point: the dress code was "Comfortable", so each of them were in shorts or jeans or skirts, with cotton tees and see-through blouses over colorful tank tops and camisoles. Dean himself was wearing his favorite Star Wars shirt and a loose pair of denim jeans. He wore his usual wrist bands and watch, and was barefoot as he stood under the large willow tree acting as an altar. Pastor Jim was the most dressed up of them all in his usual short-sleeve black button up and slacks.

The ceremony was actually kind of perfect.

Gabriel played a beautiful cover of Canon In D on his guitar. Dean's eyes never moved from Cas as Michael walked him down the short "aisle" between their gathered friends, and he could feel the wide smile on his face. Cas' dark hair was disheveled and windblown, his blue eyes bright as the sky above them, and his lips quirked up in a giddy, silly grin. He wore a black Fall Out Boy shirt and jeans, and was barefoot, wanting to feel the soft grass between his toes. He had a white Casablanca lily tucked behind one ear and held a single white geranium.

Celebration and joy, he'd told Dean. Dean couldn't help but agree.

When they reached Dean, Pastor Jim asked who was handing the groom over. Michael smiled at his youngest brother, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Making eye contact with Dean, he placed Cas' hand in Dean's before stepping back. Cas' fingers slipped between his, and Dean squeezed his hand gently. He found himself fighting back tears as Cas smiled up at him and Pastor Jim began the ceremony.

It didn't occur to Dean that he and Cas had never so much as flirted before this. They'd never made out drunk after a long night of pizza and booze. They'd never blushed in embarrassment when they caught each other naked after a shower. They made suggestive comments, sure, and joked about finding the other attractive just like any friends would. But it was always just lighthearted, meant without strings attached and never taken more seriously than a sincere compliment. They were friends before anything else. By all rights, this kind of thing should at the least be a little awkward.

Yet Dean found no hesitation when he slipped Cas' ring on, and he just grinned when Pastor Jim pronounced them married. He could feel Cas' answering smile on his lips when they kissed for the first time, caressing his cheek and feeling the two-day stubble against his fingertips. It was natural as breathing, easy and smooth. And absolutely not awkward.

Dean had never seen sparks when he kissed people. No fireworks, no tingles racing up his spine. No one ever brought that out. Not girlfriends or boyfriends, not even one-night stands. He didn't feel any of it now, either.

Kissing Castiel lit up his entire body like a supernova, made him warm and full. It settled him like a gentle lullaby his mom used to sing to him when he couldn't sleep as a kid. It completed him so effortlessly that he hadn't realized he was missing any part of himself. They came together like they were one being, one soul. Like they always had been.

 _"Just like always_ ," he whispered against Cas' lips, and Castiel smiled against his mouth.

" _Just like always,_ " Castiel agreed, and Dean kissed him again.

They spent the reception smiling and laughing with their friends and family. Congratulations went around along with good food, cold beer, and fun games. Even some of the people spending the day in the park came over to congratulate them. Dean and Cas held tight to each other, smiling, hugging, and shaking hands.

Benny brought the music and Dean and Cas had their first dance together as the sun set, beneath the glow of lanterns and stars. They shared soft kisses as they swayed to old rock ballads, and Dean wished their parents could have been there to see them. Cas just gave him a soft smile and told him they would be proud. Then Anna came to steal Cas away for her own dance, and Dean laughed and danced with Ellen, then Jo. Jess asked Dean for a dance, then Charlie, and Luce and Balthazar swept Cas away for a song before Dean caught him again. At one point they turned on cheesy disco and everyone danced together, and Dean would never admit to actually enjoying it. Later when they traded fun stories and embarrassing moments, Dean held Cas in his lap as he denied every word out of Sam's mouth.

The stars were out when Sam pulled Dean into a bone-crushing bear hug before he and Jess left. Michael actually smiled at Dean as he hugged Cas before leaving with Luce. Anna and Gabriel both cheerfully threatened castration before leaving. Bobby and Ellen sniffed and hid tears as they hugged Dean and Castiel tight. The rest of them trickled away in pairs and groups until only Dean and Cas were left.

They got home in the early hours of the morning after hours spent laying out in the grass in the park. Dean joined Castiel in a shower, trailing his hands over familiar smooth skin. He pressed small kisses to the back of Cas' neck beneath his dark hair and traced light patterns on his hips, holding him tight. Cas washed their hair, forming soapy beards on their chins with the shampoo. He scrunched up his nose when the soap ran down his face, and Dean laughed at him. He kissed Dean slow and soft under the shower head as they let the water rinse them off, and then he kissed Dean again just because.

They collapsed on their bed in nothing but the drops of water still clinging to their skin. They laughed in the breaths between them and kissed with soft smiles. Castiel laid back and Dean worshiped him with deep kisses and tender hands.

They fell into an exhausted sleep, Dean curled around Cas, legs entwined. His arm held Cas' waist, and Castiel tucked his head under Dean's chin. Their hearts beat together in a familiar, calming rhythm.

Just like always.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the inspiration for [Dean and Cas' wedding rings](http://www.larsonjewelers.com/images/Product/large/485_3_.jpg) and [Gabriel's version of Canon in D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXC9tuumjiA) that he played at the wedding.
> 
> Flower meanings were found [here](http://www.aboutflowers.com/flower-a-plant-information-and-photos/meanings-of-flowers.html); according to that particular website, a [Casablanca lily](https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4076/4812060825_c0d8567957_b.jpg) means celebration and a [geranium](http://www.bridgecreeklandscape.com/uploads/2/1/9/7/21978138/s253711758854563531_p101_i1_w360.jpeg) means joy.
> 
>  
> 
> tumblr: [leviathncas](http://leviathncas.tumblr.com)


End file.
